Is it REALLY this easy?

Up front, I will affirm that there are times when I have longed to hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit and have gone many, many weary days and weeks without hearing Him. Today though, I need to give Him praise for when He speaks...clearly. Sometimes, so clearly that I even think "Is it really this easy?"

This morning has been one of those times.

Don't get me wrong...I have done nothing to deserve this. I haven't been diving into Scripture. I haven't worn callouses on my knees and I don't have any magic formula to offer you. I believe He's always calling (see John 12:32) to each of us. Speaking for myself, I am at times more receptive than others. 

Apparently, first thing this morning...I was listening.

I awoke with thoughts of one of my garden beds. It's up against the house and isn't going to get enough sun for the vegetables I've placed there. I've read about reflective light and even used some on my patio garden last year. While I'm contemplating this, I have a "sense" that I should arise and take a walk. 

I am not the most physically fit person you'll ever meet. But when we moved into a more urban setting, I took a cue from Mission Year's practices to start walking. It's difficult to meet your neighbors from your car. I'm calling my early-morning-intentional-prayer-and-devotional-walk, a "Jesus walk". So the sticky note on the kitchen wall is what I leave for the kids on my way out the door.

Today, I didn't head toward the cemetery (see photos on Instagram) for perspective, instead I felt a "nudge" to go a different direction toward Latonia's downtown. I'm walking along, enjoying the morning, conversing with Jesus, hearing the trash truck in the Monday morning background and I pass this...

or I should say "these"...because there were two of them...laying next to a trash can about 1/3 of a mile from our house.

To be honest, I saw...I looked...and I kept walking for a few paces and had that little brain nudge that I don't know how to explain to someone who hasn't had it. But what I heard myself say was "Is it really that easy?" Admittedly, I walked another block and a half trying to convince myself I actually was experiencing God's provision in this fantastic way!

If I've lost you, then back up to what was on my mind when I awoke this morning...reflective light use for my garden. Holy Spirit's promptings were discreet but apparent since I awoke and there...laying in a trash heap...was the answer.

For this to work though, two more things had to fall into place: I had to walk faster back to the house to beat the trash truck from getting them before I could come back with the van, which my husband couldn't have taken yet to go to work. As evidenced by the photo above, both worked out. Dale left a little later than usual, and I passed the garbage truck on my way back home after picking up the two mirrors!

Explaining to my husband what they're to be used for was entertaining for me and probably confusing for him...he's more of a I-need-to-see-it-to-understand-it kind of guy. All of this to say, I have my Pinterest-type project for the next few days.

As soon as I placed these mirrors on the front porch, I heard my thoughts expressing praise to the One who loves to give good gifts to His children, who longs to have us listen as He tells us ''this is the way, walk in it" (see Isaiah 30:21), and who even cares about the most seemingly insignificant details of our heart's desires that He somehow...unexplainably...puts so many pieces of this Giant-Jigsaw-Puzzle-of-Life together to bring a little reflective Light to our home.

I needed to share this with you this morning because I need to reflect His Light. He needs to shine out of me until the people around me see the glory of His Presence all over the place. The verse I've been trying to memorize each morning is appropriately timed for His teaching today, 

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, 

and the glory of the LORD rises upon you." (Isaiah 60:1)

Thanks for hanging out with me through this entire epistle. You see the last thing I heard as I headed down the stairs to start typing this lengthy tribute to my awesome God was "I have to share this or the rocks are going to cry out...and I don't want any rocks speaking for me!" (see Luke 19:40)

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Words of wisdom I'd love to leave with you on this amazing day, if you'll allow me the privilege of speaking into your life? 

Go.

Do your thing that you are passionate about and feel like you have to do.

Take Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, with you.

Listen.

And follow.

Amen.